Hamee



(N0 Mod L. I. BODENHAMER & W; E; ASHLEY.

OAR GOUPLING.

Patented Dec. 4,1883.

I UNTTED STATES EETEET PATENT LEVI ISAAC BODENHAMER, OF KERNERSVILLE, AND WILLIAM EDWARD ASHLEY, OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA; SAID ASHLEY ASSIGNOR OF. ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO SAID BODENHAMER.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,611, dated December 4, 1883,

Application filed September 12, 1883.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, LEVI Isnno BoDEN- HAMER and WILLIAM EDWARD AsHLEY, both citizens of the United States, residing at Kernersville, Forsyth county, and Raleigh, Wake county, respectively, State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and we do hereby de- 7 clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact 10 description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our inventionrelates to car-couplings, particularly that class in which a gravitatin g hook I 5 or pivoted latch is employed instead of the usual pin, the coupling of the cars together being performed automatically by the action of the link entering the draw-head and passing beneath and behind the latch; and our said 2 invention consists, first, in so forming the mouth of the draw-headthat is, with a recess or depression at its bottomthat the end of the coupling-link within the draw-head may be depressed below a horizontal line through the link in order to elevate the opposite end of said link for coupling high and low cars together; second, in a novel form of coupling hook or latch in connection with a slotted lever attached to the hook end thereof and extending up through the top of the draw-head, whereby the coupling-hook may be raised to disengage it from the link, or by pressing the lever down, because of the lower end of said lever resting upon the end of the coupling-link,

3 5 depress this end of the link, and thus elevate the opposite end of the same.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 represents a face view of a draw-head provided with our coupling-hook and lever for operating the same and depressing the link; Fig. 2, a central sectional eleva tion of the draw-head, showing the outer end 5 of the coupling-link in an elevated position for coupling a high car with a low one; Fig. 3, the same, showing the outer end of the link as depressed to couple a low car with a high one; Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of the coupling-hook-operating lever.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple but at the same time effective means whereby the coupling-link of a railroad-car may be manipulated or guided into position within the mouth of an approaching draw v 7 head by means external of the draw-head, and either from the sides or top of the car, and with out handling the link or goingbetween the cars. The danger incident to going between the cars and guiding the link by hand is therefore avoided.

IA is the draw-head, having an inwardlyflaring mouth, B. The lower portion of the mouth of the draw-head has a gradual upward inclination from the lower edge to the point B, about midway of the mouth of the draw-head. From this point B the surface of the interior lower portion of the draw-head descends toward the rear, and then curves upward and forward toward the top and front of the drawhead, forming a depression, 0, at the bottom and a curved rear surface, D, to the interior of the draw-head.

E is the coupling-hook, pivoted to the top front edge of the mouth of the draw-head. The lower end of this gravitating hook has a curved hook end, 6, and a rear extension, 6, which forms the means for attachment of the hookoperating lever F. This lever F has a bifurcated lower end, F, and also a transverse slot, f, through it, through which and the end 0 of the coupling-hook passes a pin, f, by which the lever is securedto the coupling-hook. The said coupling-hook occupies a central position between the bifurcated ends of the lever, and the pin f" being placed loosely in the transverse slot f, a free vertical movement of the coupling-hook or the operating-lever is permitted independent of each other. The lower end of this lever F is made of a width greater than the width of the coupling-link G, so as .to permit the formation at each side of the lever of flanges g, which proj ect below the lower end of the lever, as shown in Fig. 4. Because of these flanges g, at the lower end of the lever a recess or opening, is provided. of a size just sufficient to receive the end of the coupling-link. The end of the link therefore, when in position, occupies this recess in the end of the lever, and is confined therein by the coupling-hook and the weight of said lever resting upon it. The hook end of the coupling-latch rests and bears against the highest point, B, of the mouth of the draw-head, which point forms a bearing therefor.

For operating the lever F, a rod may be connected to its top end, F, which extends up through a slot in the top of the draw-head, and pass to the top of the car; or crank-arms extending transversely across the end of the car may be provided, by which'the said lever may be manipulated from both the top and sides of the car.

The operation of the parts is as follows: The coupling-link being in position in an approaching draw-head, its free end strikes upon the mouth of the draw-head A, and is thereby guided upward and passes within the mouth of the draw-head. Upon passing the point B it encounters the coupling-hook, which it raises slightly to enable it to pass beyond the hook end thereof, when it rests beneath the end of the lever with the latch in proper position to effect a coupling. The link being in this position within the draw-head and its other end free, and it is desired to couple a high car, by depressing the lever F the inner end of the coupling-link is forced downward, the recess or depression 0 at the bottom of the mouth of the draw-head permitting this, which causes the outer end of the link to be elevated any desired degree proportioned to the depression of the lever and thus enable a coupling to be effected with a high car. Should the approaching car be a low one, by simply slowly raising the lever the outer portion of the link, because of its being the heaviest, is caused to descend until a coupling with a low car may be effected. In order to permit this raising of the lever, so as to cause the outer end of the lever to descend, thehook end of the coupling-latch has to be so shaped as to provide for this, and at the same time permit the ready withdrawal of the latch from contact with the link when it is desired to uncouple the parts, which may be accomplished by lifting the lever until the latch is raised its full height.

I is the usual vertical pin-hole through the draw-head, through which the ordinary coupling-pin may be inserted to effecta coupling in case of an accident to the latch-hook.

Having thus fully described our invention, its operation, advantages, 850., what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a car-coupling, the draw-head A, with mouth B, the lower portion of which inclines upward and inward to the point B and then downward and rearward to form a recess or depression, 0, combined with the lever F, whose lower end is made of a width greater than the width of the coupling-link, and with flanges g and recess to receive and hold the coupling-link, and suitable means for securing the link in the draw-head, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head A, having depression or recess 0 at its bottom, with the coupling-hook E, pivoted to the top front portion of the draw-head, and the lever F, having a bifurcated lower end, F, flanges g, and transverse slot f, connected to said coupling-ho0k by pin f, and adapted for raising the same for uncoupling, and also for depressing or permitting the raising of the inner end of the coupling-link, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof we hereby affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI ISAAC BODENHAMER. WILLIAM EDWARD ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

MARY A. ASHLEY, A. H. TEMPLE. 

